Wendell Berry once said “the Earth is what we all have in common.” It is one of my favorite quotes to return to when I’m getting down and out about the unrest in the world, and particularly, as of late, the extreme socio-political divisions here in the U.S. that have put many of us at odds with our neighbors. I often think about the many ways in which we all depend on the pale blue dot. During this time of year, the harvest, I am especially reminded of just how much the earth sustains us, and think that Berry’s idea could be applied to a connected concept – food is what we all have in common. Today, on World Food Day, I can think of a million ways we could celebrate that commonality, empower each other, and support food security and sustainability for everyone. Here are a few that top the list:
1. Challenge politicians to address food issues:
So much is at stake this November for the future of our movement. There is one presidential debate left and we can still offer input on which food policy questions we want the candidates to address. Will we enact policies to stop the routine use of antibiotics in meat and poultry to protect their effectiveness in treating human illnesses? Will we allow a massive Monsanto merger and unprecedented corporate agricultural consolidation? Will we act to reverse the decimation of our critical pollinators? Will we give Americans the right to know about the food we buy and fee our families? Let’s challenge the candidates to tell us how they’re going to improve our food system. This election, debate moderators are reviewing the top questions on Open Debates, a platform where voters can submit and vote on the questions they’d most like to hear the candidates answer. Vote for your favorite food and agriculture question!